Great home at a location

Guest: Greer (Lafayette, CA)
Date of Stay: 12/29/11 Review Submitted: 01/07/12

My family brought in the new year at Windrose House and we couldn't have found a more relaxing environment in which to do it. Three generations met and all the amenities were perfect for someone. My son and his friend couldn't get enough of the great outdoors, running up and down the hills and playing hide and seek until they tuckered themselves out; my sister did her morning yoga by the outdoor fountain where the peaceful flow of water tranquilized her senses; my mom spent time in the gazebo, in quiet meditation near the 'zen' garden; and I enjoyed quite time by the 'fire pit' while communing with nature. The men were, of course, indoors watching the game on TV. :-) One of my favorite things to do is to cook and bring family together at the dinner table. Most rental homes (or hotels with kitchens) have very little professional grade appliances to make cooking pleasurable. Donna and Dana had everything. I brought some things from home that never needed to be brought up from the car. There was an abundance of dishes, serving platters and utensils to set a pretty table for daily meals where we all slowed down long enough to reconnect. Overall, Windrose house has everything you need and nothing that you don't. The home itself is modest, yet very comfortable. It feels like you are visiting grandma's house. The beds were comfortable, bath tubs long enough and house was spacious enough for family game night or privacy. The only downfall, was the limited amount of hot water. I learned on day one to be first in line. But if you stagger baths there is time to replenish the hot water supply. Locally, we found plenty to do. I took the boys up to the Caverns one day and we went shopping in downtown on another. There was a playground nearby so the kids could get a change of pace as well. And the highlight of our trip was wine tasting in the Shenandoah Valley. We regularly go to Napa and Sonoma, but this hidden gem is worth the trip alone. Don't miss it if you are into good wine, great service, and beautiful scenery. We ended up joining three different wine clubs and bought quite a bit of wine to enjoy back at the house. I would return to Windrose House again and again. As a matter of fact we are already looking at dates for the holidays in 2012.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, families with young children, romantic getaway, age 55+.

A comfortable, charming home perfect for gatherings

Guest: Ducks (Sacramento, CA)
Date of Stay: 11/25/11 Review Submitted: 12/08/11

My extended family stayed at Windrose House over the Thanksgiving holiday, and everyone agreed it was the best place we'd ever rented. Its very gracious owners have taken great care and pride in offering everything you could possibly need for a gathering of any occasion. Each room was tastefully and uniquely decorated to honor the Victorian style of the home, maintaining much of its original charm. The bedrooms and bathrooms all had extremely comfortable beds and linens. We especially appreciated how well-stocked the spacious kitchen was and had a great time preparing our Thanksgiving meal with plenty of space for everyone to move about. The outdoor grounds were as beautiful as the inside of the house, with plentiful options for enjoying the bucolic scenery. A bonus was having access to lovely walks right across the street. We would gather here again in a heartbeat.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Fantastic Home in California's Gold Country

Guest: Mikeee (El Dorado, California)
Date of Stay: 05/28/10 Review Submitted: 06/01/10

Four couples just spent the Memorial Day weekend staying at the Windrose House. Each bedroom has its own bath. The kitchen is large and is easy to use when several people are preparing meals at the same time. The kitchen has all the modern conveniences with dishwasher, garbage disposal, two ovens, etc. The grounds were very nice. There is a great patio where you can sit and relax, BBQ, and enjoy the outdoors. There is a nice table that allows for eating outdoors. The eating area inside accommodates 8 - 10 people. The house was very comfortable. The owners have made sure all of your needs are met. There is television, DVD player, and even wireless Internet. The location is great. Our group did several day bicycle rides into the Amador County wine country. There are several great towns for walking around or enjoying a great meal at a local restaurant. Grocery shopping is a little over a mile away at a brand new Safeway. On a scale of 1 - 10 our group would give this vacation rental a 9+. We look forward to retuning in the future. One other note - the owners are very accommodating. They answered e-mail questions and inquiries in a very prompt manner. They were very easy to work with.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Charming, spacious, perfect for large groups, adults or children!

Guest: Co-op Mom (Hayward, CA `)
Date of Stay: 04/30/10 Review Submitted: 05/03/10

5 moms and their 10 school aged kids in one house for a weekend? Yes, we are crazy. But the home made it easy. This place is lovely! First impressions....wow! Walk over the bridge across the creek, lots of vegetation/flowers and trees, nice and shady, lawn in front, gentle slope up to the Victorian style home (you can feel the history!), gazebo on the right (lights at night on a timer give the place a special touch), the beds are super comfortable with lots of pillows and comfy comforters, every room has it's own bathroom (charming old style bathtubs with feet!), beautifully decorated with old pictures, large kitchen (all five moms could move around easily, plenty of room in cabinets and on counters for all of our food and supplies and plenty of pots, pans, bowls, cutting boards, utensils, etc.), large/new washer/dryer and supplies for their use, fun pathways around the property, old well, gurgling pond, lots to explore and a distance from the road so we weren't concerned about the kids as they ran around outside. The house stayed cool on a warmish weekend so we could leave the doors opened and hear them (used the screen doors). The TV room fit all the kids for popcorn/movie night and we could easily fit all 10 children around the dining table at mealtimes. The studio was enjoyed by my kids since it has a loft for them to sleep in (on blow up beds) - they loved that! Very clean and everything was in perfect working order. Absolutely no complaints, owners were wonderful communicators and very accommodating and quick to respond to questions. Visited Sutter Creek Kennedy Mines as well as the towns of Jackson and Sutter Creek. Safeway shopping center super close by, Walmart/Kmart slightly further away, but still only minutes away if you need supplies. Cute towns very nearby with antiques, wine tasting, restaurants and candy stores. Only two hour drive from the bay area. Since it's a slope up to the house, pack light or be prepared to lug your stuff up the slope and up the steps of the home several trips, so if you are disabled or have trouble with stairs, this might be a problem. But if you are in good health and don't mind lugging your stuff in and out (I figured it helped me burn off the too many calories I ate during the weekend!), this place is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! We will be back!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children, romantic getaway, families with teenagers.

Guest: Maureen, Carol & Lesley (Folsom, Denair and San Jose, ca.)
Date of Stay: 11/09/09 Review Submitted: 11/09/09

We loved your house. It's spacious, beautiful and rustic. The grounds are naturally beautiful, The beds are comfortable and clean. The kitchen is well appointed. There are many places on the grounds to sit: the porch the patio and the gazebo. We hope to come back soon.... we had a excellent time! Thank you Dana and Donna. PS the location is perfect for wine tasting in Amador, Fairplay etc...

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